Summer Fun Food Drink Chapter 3 My New Canada · Sunday June 27, 2010 by colin newell
Yup. Pretty much sums up the New Canada.
A gentle reminder for those folks who will be celebrating Canada Day in the Victoria area – and leaving their vehicles at home – and doing the right thing by taking cab or B.C. Transit to their destinations…
You do not have to consent to a search of your person or belongings while celebrating Canada Day. You have every right to move from place to place in the Capital region with sealed wine, beer or liquor on your person. Open liquor is obviously another matter.
If you are unsure about this, read the 2008 report within the Commission for public complaints against the R.C.M.P.
This applies to the Victoria police, the transit authority as well as other regional and community law enforcement agencies.
Comment [1]
Rites of Spring #37 - Most stupid story I have heard this month · Saturday June 19, 2010 by colin newell
Part of my morning ritual – listening to Gregor Craigie of CBC on the Island while he interviews folks, delivers the news and coaxes the weather and sports out of his cheery colleagues at 90.5 Mhz
My part of staying informed obviously.
Particularly on Monday’s when there is no paper because the Times Colonist is eliminating papers to serve us better.
Anyway.
The CBC story this morning ( in June I think…) was Gregor interviewing one of Thrifty Foods brightest executives explaining why Thrifty Foods was shipping Island produce to the mainland for storage and inevitable shipping back to Vancouver Island.
Right.
Smarty pants Thrifty Foods exec explains… We were bringing over fruit and vegetables and stock from around North America… and (get this) sending empty trucks back over to the mainland!
Gregor bit his lip and girded his loins and replied…
“Wouldn’t it be better to have a cold storage facility on Vancouver Island for produce destined for Vancouver Island?”
Good digging there Gregor!
Reply.
It did not make sense for Thrifty Foods to send empty trucks back to the mainland when we have perfectly good cold storage facilities over in the Vancouver area.
Jesus. Of course. Psyche. Why didn’t I get that? (bashing my head against wall like Dobbie of Harry Potter)
For the record, our Island proud company, Thrifty Foods, is now owned and operated by Sobey Foods of Ontario.
Which explains the wizard like thinking above.
Good journalism Gregor! You really held that exec dudes toes to the fire.
This reminds me of the local hospital society that sends their dirty laundry to Calgary, Alberta for scrubbing… as opposed to using a local laundry – which simply would not make sense… would it?
No. Of course not.
Website issues are temporary - stay tuned. · Tuesday June 8, 2010 by colin newell
I am currently bouncing web requests for dxer.ca and coffeecrew.com over here because of technical issues at my ISP – things should fix themselves by morning…
hopefully… and they are.
Thanks for your patience.
Rites of Spring #23 West Jet flight credits watch your dates · Wednesday May 26, 2010 by colin newell
Andrea and I had a trip we had to cancel a year ago that was the result of a family illness – that ultimately resulted in the loss of a loved one.
We ended up with a West Jet credit of $1500.
And once things settled down we were planning on taking a short trip south of the border… to San Francisco to visit friends, or Los Angeles… or Portland, Oregon.
Alas, I misread the dates on the credit. I had a year from the date of cancellation – not a year from the flight.
And so I discovered when I called West Jet a week or so after the credit actually ran out.
“Mister Newell, your account shows zero dollars…”
No apology. No “we’re sorry…”
$1500 down the drain.
I would have even humored a “read the fine print you doofus..”
I would like to ask West Jet… where does that money go?
I could have paid $10 to extend it another year.
So why not take $10 of value off of the voucher and leave me with $1490. No, that would not make sense.
Bummer. Thanks West Jet. In the air you are loads of fun.
On the ground you are no fun whatsoever.
Note to self: Always read the fine print… always.
Comment [2]
Rites of Spring #18 - New Eye rules - enjoy your macular degeneration sir · Wednesday May 19, 2010 by colin newell
The B.C. Liberal governments new policy that will allow people easier and cheaper access to prescription glasses and contact lenses is a reckless and typically Liberal move that will compromise eye health throughout the province.
As of May 1, 2010, residents between 19 and 65 will be able to replace existing prescriptions without consulting a medical doctor or having a comprehensive eye health exam. And order glasses or contacts online without having to provide a copy of their prescription.
This policy sets British Columbia apart from all other North American jurisdictions.
The most obvious byproduct of this is that serious eye conditions could go undiagnosed as a result… like glaucoma and Macular degeneration
“It is a regression into a third world eye care model,” mused Dr. Antoinette Dumalo, president of the British Columbia Association of Optometrists.
From my perspective (glasses wearer since I was 13), this is typical Gordon Campbell Liberal policy making – looking after business interest first and to heck with regular citizens. Sure, I know a pair of prescription glasses cost, on average, about $400 these days – and that has to impact on the middle class in some way (if there actually is a middle class in this Province anymore)…
That said, I do not expect to fill my optical prescription at the local Radio Shack store (not far off into the future I suspect) or get sound medical diagnostics there either.
Sigh. Just another day…
in Beautiful Business Columbia…
Colin Newell lives and works in Victoria, B.C. Canada despite everything that is wrong in this wild west coast society.
